How the Deal Was Done

How the Deal Was Done

Each episode of How the Deal Was Done podcast will lead the listener through a fun, interesting, sometimes wild and wooly situation guests have experienced during their time as a deal-maker.

Episodes

March 26, 2026 45 mins
Kicking off season two of our special series, we explore whether love in the workplace truly creates value. Stuart Woollard shares insights from his extensive career, including his work with the Maturity Institute, focusing on quantifying human value in organizations. We discuss how love and care can transform workplace dynamics, moving beyond traditional financial metrics to foster sustainable performance. Stuart also highlights e...
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In this episode of How the Deal Was Done, I sit down with Mark Thielmann to explore the intricacies of deal-making in today's economic climate. We delve into the complexities of navigating business transitions, focusing on the lower middle market and the rise of mega deals. Mark shares insights on the importance of transaction readiness, particularly in financial diligence, and the evolving landscape of private equity. We also disc...
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In this special episode of How the Deal Was Done, I sit down with Anthony Onesto, former Chief People Officer at Suzy Inc. and current product executive at FifteenFive, to explore the concept of love in the workplace. We delve into the paradox of balancing care and challenge, drawing insights from Kim Scott's Radical Candor. Anthony shares personal experiences and discusses the importance of creating a compassionate yet high-perfor...
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Your most valuable assets go home at 5 p.m.—so how do you turn their energy into enterprise value? Valuation expert Dave Bookbinder joins Love at Work to unpack “The New ROI: Return on Individuals.” We connect the dots from leadership and empathy to engagement, discretionary effort, and—yes—higher revenue, profit, and valuation. From Ocean Tomo’s 90% intangibles era to investable “Human Capital Factor” strategies, Dave shows how pe...
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In this episode of How the Deal Was Done, I sit down with Mike Elliot, a seasoned expert in customer experience and leadership. We explore the evolving landscape of work, focusing on the delicate balance between automation and authenticity. Mike shares insights from his diverse career, from logistics to HR, highlighting the intricate connection between employee satisfaction and customer experience. We delve into the impact of AI an...
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Think data can’t capture love? Think again. In this episode, Dr. Fiona Jamison reveals how people analytics—done right—uncovers the heart of an organization. From predicting turnover to amplifying employee voice, Fiona shares how metrics can fuel empathy, trust, and culture change. If you believe love has no place in business, this conversation will challenge everything. It’s time to make love measurable—and put it to work.
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Is empathy dead? Not even close. In this special episode of How the Deal Was Done: Love at Work, Caroline Trudeau and I sit down with Patricia Bravo—empathy expert and founder of Bravo For You—for a conversation that reclaims empathy as a powerful, strategic tool for modern leaders. Together, we explore how empathy, when practiced with intention, fuels trust, clarity, and performance—and how it can deepen professional intimacy wi...
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In this special series of How the Deal Was Done, we sit down with Dr. Katie Desiderio, leadership visionary, bestselling author, and Principal Partner at Proximal Development. We dive into the transformative power of Love at Work—a concept that redefines leadership, amplifies performance, and centers human connection. Katie shares what it took to break barriers as the first female chair at Moravian University, and how her work cont...
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In Episode 9 of How the Deal Was Done, Laura Queen delves into the often overlooked yet vital aspect of mergers and acquisitions: employee benefits. Joining her is Tom Ingelsby, a principal at Birch Benefits, who sheds light on navigating the complexities of benefit plans during acquisitions. We explore the challenges companies face when merging firms, particularly in the mid and lower middle market, and discuss strategies for scal...
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In Episode 8 of How the Deal Was Done, we delve into the intricacies of developing a comprehensive human capital strategy for competitive advantage. Join me, Laura Queen, along with my colleagues Marc Prine and Matt Lane, as we explore the evolving landscape of human capital in private equity. We discuss the growing importance of human capital solutions amid economic uncertainties and the need for strategic alignment with business ...
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In this episode of How the Deal Was Done, I sit down with Andrew Sherman, a seasoned attorney and professor at Georgetown University, to explore the critical role of intangible assets in mergers and acquisitions. With 40 years in the M&A field, Andrew shares insights on how businesses often overlook these hidden treasures, likening them to gold bars in an attic. We delve into the importance of recognizing intangible assets like hum...
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Preparing for a deal, especially your own exit, is a sport.  Mark Gaeto, a partner with Falcon Capital Partners, a leading investment bank in the Philadelphia region, joins us for today’s conversation.  Mark will tell you, this may be your Superbowl. Getting to the biggest game of your life takes preparation and requires that you work-the-plan.

As an experienced investment banker and advisor, Mark leads the Technology practice and ...

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Our guest for this episode of How the Deal was Done is Joe Feldman, President of Joseph Feldman Associates an acquisitions and strategic consulting firm near Chicago.    

When was the last time you engaged in role playing as part of the deal-making process?  In this episode, Joe shares how asking the question, “What if…?” and adopting the perspectives of each party to a transaction can positively inform your approach to deal-making...

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In this episode, our guest is Meryl Unger, partner and head of the corporate and business law department of Katsky Korins LLP, a boutique full service New York law firm.

From ownership and management to succession planning and mergers and acquisitions, Meryl is adept at developing creative solutions to a wide range of complex business issues for her clients. She principally represents mid-sized, privately-held companies, high net w...

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In this episode, our guest is Joanne Murray, Partner at the law firm Antheil Maslow & MacMinn in Doylestown, PA.

Joanne is committed to helping small business owners achieve their goals. From inception to business maturity, Joanne serves as an experienced and insightful counselor to business owners as they face the financial, legal and operational challenges that are an inevitable part of the life cycle of a business.

Sometimes the...

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In this episode, our guest is Thomas Lindberg, Partner at Upstream Capital in Philadelphia, PA.

Prior to starting Upstream Capital, Thomas was at Evergreen Advisors, a Baltimore-based investment banking firm, where he advised clients on mergers, acquisitions, and corporate finance. At Evergreen, his clients included companies in healthcare services, business service and BPO, consumer products, and niche healthcare product manufactu...

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In this episode we will discuss “How to avoid spitting and panic attacks at the closing table?” with Mark Thielmann, Managing Director - Corporate Advisory at KB Financial in Princeton, NJ.

Mark leads KB Financials’ Corporate Advisory Group focusing on direct investment, debt and equity financing, merger and acquisition services, capital structure development, and strategic ad...

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